Thu, Nov 14, 2002

Pointers look for right combination at Purple-Gold scrimmage

By Jerry Rhoden
Journal staff

Like the purple ketchup that coupled with the golden mustard just outside the doors, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men's basketball team sought the ideal complements through its Purple and Gold Scrimmage on Wednesday at Quandt Fieldhouse.

As satisfying as the second annual preseason cookout may have been to the roughly 500 fans who turned out and saw Gold beat Purple 79-70, it could only whet the appetites of those hungry for hoops.

But fans weren't the only ones looking for an appetizer.

"This was my first game back," Josh Iserloth said. The 6-foot-9 center who was an All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection will be the lone senior on this year's squad. "I hurt my knee in practice a week and a half ago."  Though the two-time all-conference first-team honoree admittedly struggled to find his shot early on, he scored 10 first-half points. 

Pointers head coach Jack Bennett divided the teams into what he hoped would be relatively even sides. The Purple managed no better than a tie in chasing the Golds the whole way.After Bennett knotted the score at 42 with 10 minutes left in the game, the Golds found their stroke with six straight 3-pointers.  The Golds capped the effort with 5-of-6 free-throw shooting to seal the Purples' fate.

"Some of our hardest competition is within our own team. I think in the second half we started to figure each other out," said Ron Nolting, a 6-3 off-guard.

"I liked our depth and our shooting," Jack Bennett said in summary of the evening.
The Golds, which also included Tyler Doyle, Billy St. John, Jesse Cappelle, Bob Smith and John Gleich, went 27-of-52 (51.9 percent) from the floor, including 9-of-20 from the 3-point arc.

The Purples, who consisted also of all-conference honorable mention Jason Kalsow, Eric Maus, Tamaris Relerford, Eddie Zirbel, Brett Hirsch, Matt Bouche and Mike Prey, went 22-of-59 from the floor and 6-of-17 from the arc.

The teams all but split 65 rebounds.

"Defensively, we played well in spurts but didn't sustain," the coach added.

The season opens up for real when Upper Iowa visits Quandt for the Terry Porter Tip-Off Classic at 8 p.m., on Friday, Nov. 22.